Carnarvonshire Railway

Carnarvonshire Railway
Overview
Locale	Wales
Operation
Opened	29 July 1862
Closed	December 1964
Technical
Line length
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map Legend Bangor and Carnarvon Railway to Bangor Caernarvon Carnarvon Pant closed 1870 Caernarfon(WHR) opened 1997 Quay Sidings Carnarvon Morfa closed 1870 Pont Rug Pontrhythallt Cwm-y-Glo Padarn Halt Llanberis x20px Dinas Junction Welsh Highland Railway Llanwnda Groeslon Penygroes Nantlle Branch Junction Nantlle Pant Glas Brynkir Ynys Llangybi Chwilog Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway to Pwllheli Afon Wen Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway to Porthmadog

The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Caernarvon railway station (terminus of the Bangor and Caernarvon Railway line from Bangor) with Afon Wen.

History

It was later operated by the LNWR then the LMS. At Afon Wen, a junction connected with the Cambrian Line (GWR) to Pwllheli in one direction and to Porthmadog in the other, with LNWR/LMS running rights to both. The line had two branches, one from Caernarfon to Llanberis, which was built by the Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway and the other from Penygroes to Nantlle, which formed part of the narrow gauge Nantlle Railway, which between Penygroes and Caernarvon had been incorporated into the Carnarvonshire Railway.

Closure

Regular passenger service on the Llanberis branch ceased in the 1930 (but summer passenger excursions from Llandudno etc. ran from 1932 until 1939 and again from 1946 until 1962). Likewise the Nantlle branch passenger service also ceased in 1932. The remaining lines and services (Afon Wen to Caernarvon) were shut completely as part of the Beeching Axe in December 1964.

Trackbed re-use

A section of the line, from Caernarvon to Dinas, was incorporated into the reopened narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway as the first phase of the line, in 1997. Several miles of the trackbed southwards from Dinas have been used to improve the A487 road. Some original sections remain and have been used as part of National Cycle Route 8.

The cycle route (Lôn Eifion) and the narrow gauge railway share the old trackbed south of Caernarvon to Dinas.

The tunnel under the centre of Caernarfon has been reopened for road traffic.